Ball-bearing for electric motors



No. 616,063. Patented Dec. [3, I898.

} .1. ML. MURPHY.

BALL BEARING FDR ELECTRIC MOTORS. (Applicution filed Mar. 15, 189 8.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheei l.

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No. 616,063. Patented Dec. l3, I898;

' J. McL. MURPHY.

BALL BEARING FUR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

ATTOHNEKS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MOLEOD MURPHY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO DAVID F. HALSTED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND WVILLIAM M. KEEPERS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BALL-BEARING FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 616,063, dated December 13, 1898.

Application filed March 15, 1898- Serial No. 673,971. N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MCLEOD MUR HY, residing at Torrington, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Ball-Bearing for Electric Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates generally to ball-bearings, more particularly refers to an improved axle-bearing and supporting means for electric motors for tramway-cars.

It is well known thatin the usual manner of supporting a motor on the truck-frame the heavy or bulk end thereof is so hung on the axle that the heavy dead-Weight thereon soon wears out the axle, so the motors are thereby left to play freely thereon, which soon weakens the axle and makes it liable to break at such point under any undue jarring or strain. To reduce this great frictional wear to a minimum and so provide an adjustable ball-bearing means of such character that the motorhearing can be quickly adjusted to have a true hanger support or bearingon the axle is the essential feature of this invention.

This invention also seeks to provide a bearing of the character noted of a very simple and inexpensive but stable construction, which can be easily manipulated and adjusted without disconnecting or otherwise afiecting any of the parts of or supports for the motor.

\Vith other minor objects in view, which will hereinafter appear, my invention comprehends the peculiar construction and novel arrangement of parts, such as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric motor having an axle-bearing constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being in section to more clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the axle-bearing. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of several of the parts detached. Fig. 4 is an end view taken on the line 4 at of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the detent devices hereinafter more specifically referred to.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the motor-casing, 2 the drive-gear, 3 the supporting spring-hanger devices, 4 the fixedly-held hanger-beam, and 5 the rest or spring-brace for the axle-bearing end of the motor-frame, all of which may be of the ordinary construction, as they, per se, form no part of my invention.

In my improved form of axle-bearing for electric motors the motor-frame has its axle end horizontally divided into an upper section 6 and a lower section (l which have semicircular opposing seats 7 7-, which encircle the car-axle 8, but are held from frictional contact therewith, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The opposite ends of the section 6 are formed with lateral horizontally-disposed extensions 6 which form guards to protect the under edge of the ball-retaining caps, presently referred to, and such section 6, together with the section 6, have semicircular annular seats 9 9*, having internal threads 9" and semicircular concave seats 10 10 of a smaller diameter, which form the inner portion of the ballraces, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, by reference to which it will also be observed that the outer edges 12 of such races project beyond the vertical or cen tral bearing-line X of the ball-races,

-so as to bring each outer edge out of a direct bearingrline with the balls 13, and thereby provide for a smooth bearing-face for such balls and avoid the danger of a quick wear of the balls, which would be the case were the line X in a plane with the central or maximum radii of the annular ball chamber or race.

so far as described it will be readily observed that the front end of the motor is supported entirely on the antifriction roller-bearings 13 and held entirely free of the axle. To hold such hearings in a proper annular relation with each other and to provide for a ready substitution of new bearings, I provide simple and easily-adjustable holders in the nature of cap-plates 14;, loosely fitted on the axles for a limited longitudinal movement thereon, and such caps have concaved annular seats 14, which form the outer portions of the ball-races. The cap-plates, which are fitted just loosely enough on the axle 8 not to turn fixedly therewith, have each a threaded shank 15, which are adapted to have engagement with the threads in the ends of the motor when they are adjusted, whereby to be drawn into their operative position; but such threaded shanks 15 are of somewhat smaller diameter than the internal threaded portion which they engage, so that when properly adjusted they will be held out of a tight frictional contact with the motor-frame sections, and thereby hold such sections from tight frictional contact with the cap-plates and leaving the entire bearing-support of the front end of the motor-frame on the balls 13, such result being attained by making the space intervening the threads on the motor-frame sections and the cap-plate shanks slightly greater than the space between the cap-plates l4 and the axle, such plates being, as it were, loosely supported on the axle, it being manifest that as the balls 13 are adapted at all times to engage the seats 10 the members let serve merely as cover or cap plates and form practically no beari ng means for supporting the motor-frame on the axle. The outer ends of the caps terminate in annular enlarged toothed disks 17, the lower ends of which are protected from being engaged by any obstruction or loose member of the car or motor frame by the extensions 6" 6".

To hold the caps from unscrewing while in operation, and thereby loosen the ball rollerbearings, (which might cause accident,) I provide a simple detent for each cap, each of which consists of a bracket 18, secured to the motor-frame, in which is fitted a T-headed set-screw 19, which passes through an elongated slot 20 in a longitudinally-adjustable lock-plate 21, which is so disposed relatively to its coincident cap-plate to be readily moved into and out of engagement with the toothed disk of the cap, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, it being obvious that when held in locked engagement with the toothed disk thecap will be positively held from turning on the axle, and by loosening the T-bolt such plate 21 can be quickly shifted from engagement with the aforesaid cap-disk.

To hold the upper and lower bearing-sections of the motor in a firm position on the roller or ball bearings, stay-bolts 22 are passed up through the same at each side of the axle, the ends of which have lock and jam nuts 23 23, as shown.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily seen that the motor-frame will have bearing only on the balls, and the devices for retaining the balls will also be positively held from frictional engagement with such motorframe when set to their proper adjustment.

It will be noticed the bearing mechanism and the parts are of such construction that access thereto can be quickly had and the same readjusted without in the slightest interfering with or disconnecting any of the other parts of the motor-frame.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is-

1. As an improvement in axle-bearings for electric motors, the combination with the axle and the fixed hanger devices for supporting the motor at one end; of the motor-frame having its front end constructed to fit over the axle, and having ball-race portions at the ends; balls or rollers fitting such race portions, and detachable means for holding the balls in place substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improvement in axle-bearings for electric motors; the combination with the axle and the fixed hanger devices for supporting the motor at one end; of the motor-framehaving its axle-end sections divided and formed with semicircular seats to form an axle-passage, said divided sections having their outer ends formed with annular concaved seats forming ball-races the balls held therein, and the ball-holding caps longitudinally adjustable on the axle, but held from frictional engagement with the motor-frame, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

The combination with the axle, of the motor-frame having its front end formed of upper and lower sections, said sections having semicircular seats to embrace the axle, and having annular ball-race grooves in the ends and enlarged internally-tlneaded annular recesses; the cap-plates having ball-race portions on their inner faces, externally-threaded hubs to engage the threaded recesses in the ends of the motor-sections; said threaded hubs being of a less diameter than the said threaded recesses, and the bearing-balls, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

at. The combination with the axle and the motor-frame having its front end formed of upper and lower sections said semicircular seats forming the axle-aperture and having their ends provided with annular ball-race portions and internally-tln'eaded annular recesses, and the bearing-balls seating in the said motor ball-race portions, of the retaining-caps having internal ball-grooves, an annular threaded hub adapted to engage with the internally-threaded recesses of the motor ends, but of slightly less diameter than such recesses whereby the threads will beheld out of frictional engagement when the caps are properly adjusted, said caps having toothed disks, and the adjustable lock-detents, devices for holding the caps from turning in the axle,allbein g arranged substantially as shown and described.

JOHN MCLEOD MURPHY.

lVitnesses:

VVILLIAM DE Von, FRANK P. MURPHY. 

